Here, for the first time I touched the goose quill to the treaty---not knowing, however, that, by that act, I consented to give away my village. Had that been explained to me, I should have opposed it, and never would have signed their treaty, as my recent conduct will clearly prove.
What do we know of the manner of the laws and customs of the white people? They might buy our bodies for dissection, and we would touch the goose quill to confirm it, without knowing what we are doing. This was the case with myself and people touching the goose quill the first time.
We can only judge of what is proper and right by our standard of right and wrong, which differs widely from the whites, if I have been correctly informed. The whites may do bad all their lives, and then, if they are sorry for it when about to die, all is well! But with us it is different: we must continue throughout our lives to do what we conceive to be good. If we have corn and meat, and know of a family that have none, we divide with them.If we have more blankets than sufficient, and others have not enough, we must give to them that want.
Life of Black Hawk or Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak, Dictated By Himself, Penguin Books, New York, 2008, Pgs. 44-45.
No comments:
Post a Comment